Applying for the Order
by Convenient Alias
Summary: Iroh is recruiting members for the Order of the White Lotus. But he is very picky about who he will let in. Diplomatic reasons, trust issues, general stupidity...When will there be someone he can actually admit?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. Sadly.

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Aang liked Iroh. He was probably the nicest and wisest Fire Nation person that Aang had ever met, and that included even Aang's friends, like Kuzon and Zuko. Iroh liked Aang, too, though sometimes in a rather impersonal, 'you are the Avatar and the one to bring balance to the world and I respect that' kind of way. But most of the time, Iroh was a good person to go to for advice and a good person to go to when you just wanted a really good cup of tea. So more often than one would think, Aang found himself heading up to Iroh's quarters to invite himself over for tea and a good talk.

It was not rare for Iroh to invite Aang over for social purposes either. However Iroh often invited Aang over to discuss serious issues as well, such as the reviving of the South Pole's waterbending traditions. It was hard to predict whether tea with Iroh was going to be a pleasant chat or a talk about saving the world.

In this case, Iroh was looking rather serious. He sipped his tea slowly, and then, looking straight at Aang, said, "I am getting old."

"Not as old as me," Aang said cheerfully. That was one good thing about being stuck in an iceberg for a hundred years; you were older than pretty much everyone. Except Bumi, and really, who was older than Bumi?

"I will admit that," Iroh said with a smile. "Still, I am getting old and I am not as strong as I used to be. It is even possible that in the near future I will die."

Aang shook his head. "No! You can't die. You're far too strong for that." Inwardly he hoped Iroh wasn't having some kind of premonition. He knew that Zuko still needed Iroh around, and he rather enjoyed having the old man around himself.

Iroh chuckled. "Don't worry. I don't think I will die just yet. But I am getting old. And all my colleagues from the Order of the White Lotus, they are getting old too. Of course, a few of their sons and daughters have joined the order, but all of us great masters of the White Lotus, we are running out of time. The White Lotus ages."

"Which is why," said Iroh. "I am coming to you. Certainly you are older than most of the world, but physically you are only thirteen and I am hoping you can find some young people to join the Order of the White Lotus, so that it can once again bloom with youth."

Aang pondered this for a moment. "So wait. You want me to get people to join the Order of the White Lotus? Am I supposed to walk around endorsing it or something?"

Iroh laughed and took a sip of tea. "Of course not. It is a secret society; if its existence was made known to the public there would be very little point anymore. I just wanted you to see if any of your friends or acquaintances, trustworthy people, would be interested in joining a secret society to save the world. You see, I have been entrusted with the task of recruiting members from the next generation, and being an old man it is difficult for me."

"Oh," Aang said. He pondered over this for another moment, a slightly longer moment. "Can I join? Because, you know, secret societies sound like the kind of thing I could really get into."

"No," said Iroh.

Aang moped. "Why not? I'm the Avatar. Isn't that trustworthy enough for you?"

Iroh smiled gently. "I know that you are trustworthy, but you don't understand. One of the main objectives of the Order of the White Lotus is to protect the Avatar."

"So?" said Aang.

"Well, if the Avatar is a member of the White Lotus himself, then it makes things difficult. For one thing, you would be assigned dangerous missions. And just in general, you can't be part of the secret society that exists to protect you, Aang. It does not work that way."

Aang slumped sadly in his chair. Being the Avatar was very nice most of the time. It got you into parties, peace meetings, feasts and just generally got you respect from others. On the other hand, there were times it really dragged, like when it prevented you from joining amazingly powerful secret societies.

"Well, I guess I'll tell the others," he said sulkily.

"Thank you," said Iroh. "You would make an old man very happy. If I have to go around to every youngster with a good reputation by myself, I'll never be done with it and my back will be very sore. It will be much easier if they come to me."

"Sure thing," Aang said.

/…./…./

The next day, Iroh received an unexpected visitor. Well, no. It wasn't the visitor that was unexpected. It was what he was there for.

"Uncle," said Zuko. "I feel like in the past few years since I became firelord, I've become more mature."

Iroh entirely agreed with this sentiment, and had voiced it himself on many occasions. Of course, running a country did have a tendency to mature people, but particularly in Zuko it had made a marvelous change. The once proud and easily angered boy was now a selfless and good hearted young man.

"I'm not the boy I was when I was kicked out of that White Lotus meeting when we were sneaking into Ba Sing Se. I know now that I'm not the most important person in the world and I don't know everything. I know you're far wiser than me and I should respect that."

Iroh smiled gently, "Zuko, I have seen your growth myself. I think you truly have found your place in this world. You have learned humility, and found peace in your soul."

"So," said Zuko. "Have I learned enough, have I changed enough to join the Order of the White Lotus?"

The old man stared at his nephew as he realized what the boy was here for.

"Erm, nephew," he coughed. "Look, I know that you've changed, but…"

"Not enough?" Zuko asked.

For a moment the room was silent, full of tension. Then, suddenly, Zuko sprang to his feet. "WHEN, uncle?" he yelled. "How good do I have to be to convince you I'm good? I've changed, uncle! I'm trying to be a good person! I've been trusted to rule a whole country with its best interests in mind and you can't even spare me a small position in your secret society because you don't trust me!"

"It's not that, Zuko!" Iroh said. "Calm down, nephew. Of course I trust you."

Zuko sank back into his seat. "Then why?"

"Well, it's like I told Aang," Iroh said. "Diplomatic reasons."

Zuko snorted. "Diplomatic reasons?"

"Members of the Order of the White Lotus have to act in the best interests of all the nations equally. As the ruler of the Fire Nation, you will naturally act with the Fire Nation's interests in mind first and foremost. Thus, as a ruler of a nation you cannot be a member of the White Lotus."

"What," said Zuko.

"Members of the White-"

"No, I heard you," Zuko said. "Just…is that why you never seemed resentful of the fact that Dad was firelord, not you?"

"That and all the paperwork," Iroh said calmly.

"And that's why you didn't want to volunteer to take on the job when we defeated him."

"Well, there were diplomatic reasons too…"

"Wait," Zuko said suddenly. "This makes no sense. What about King Bumi?"

Iroh shrugged. "Well, King Bumi is mad. No one likes to argue with him."

"You allow a madman in the White Lotus but not me?!" Zuko screamed. The temperature of the room was starting to rise, and Iroh had a feeling that any second, Zuko's hands were going to catch on fire.

"Calm down," he said hurriedly. "Look, I have some very nice tea here and no one else to drink it. How about you drink some to soothe your nerves?"

Zuko snarled, "Uncle, this one time you are not going to bribe me with tea."

"I hear Mai likes this flavor," Iroh said conversationally. "Although it's very rare. I bet she'd be surprised that you'd heard of it."

Zuko's shoulders slumped. Quietly he said, "Do you have a cup?"

Iroh nodded and poured some tea into said cup. As Zuko sipped, he said, "Now, isn't that heavenly?"

"Herbal," Zuko said with a wince.

"Mai's an herbal sort of girl, I suppose," Iroh said thoughtfully. "Certainly never give her orange tea, nephew. She would be horrified."

Zuko nodded as he slowly drank more tea.

"So," Iroh said. "I'm sorry that you can't join the Order. But at least you're still firelord, right?"

Zuko grumbled, "Maybe I'll just quit and give the job to Azula."

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AN: So, who should apply to join Iroh's secret society next? Should it be Katara? Sokka? Toph? Mai? Ty Lee? _Azula?_ Or maybe someone else? I could really use some suggestions and I would also like to know your opinion on what I've written so far, so please review!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I warn you that Azula kills all humor. I could try to fight it, but it's fun to write her seriously, and she doesn't like being taken lightly. Still, you asked for her...here she is.

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Iroh did not like the royal prison. This was partially because of the overall atmosphere: glum, dank and dark, and partially because of the fact that he had spent a good amount of time there. It had not been the best time of his life. Breathing in the prison air still remembered him of his grief at Zuko's regression into being the firelord's loyal son again, instead of his own person. It made him remember the way Zuko's voice had broken as he begged Iroh for answers he wasn't ready to give.

Still, when the summons came, he went down to the prison to answer it. After all, he didn't just have a nephew. He also had a niece.

Her hands were restrained over her head, and her legs were restrained as well. It could not possibly be comfortable (and Iroh could get comfortable in most positions) but she didn't look like she particularly minded. Nor did she look insane, the way she had the first few times he had visited her before her madness drove him away.

Instead, she smirked at him lightly, and Iroh shivered slightly. She was restrained; it wasn't just that she couldn't firebend at him, he wasn't even close enough for her to spit on him. But somehow it still felt like she had complete control of the situation.

"Hello, Uncle," she drawled, completely relaxed in her bonds. "I see you came promptly when I summoned you. And they say Zuko is the firelord."

"My coming at your request is not a show of obedience, Azula," Iroh said with a frown. "It is merely my compassion for your situation, and my love for you as family."

Azula leaned forward as far as her body could move. "Good. I don't want your obedience. Rather, I would request to serve under you." She smirked again. "And that's not a sign of intimidation or subservience either. Just…boredom."

"What is it you called me here for?" Iroh asked.

Azula leaned back against the wall. "Really, uncle. I was just coming to that. No need to be so impatient." She sighed slowly, dragging it out and then looked straight into Iroh's eyes. For a while she stared at him without speaking, her eyes piercingly, hypnotically gold. They were even more golden than Iroh's eyes.

"That's better. No need to hurry me, uncle. Neither of us has very much to do. I have nothing to do but stand here day after day and occasionally eat or talk to guards. You have nothing to do except play Pai Sho. And oh yes, what was that rumor I heard? Hmmm…" She quirked an eyebrow mockingly. "Oh yes. They say you have some kind of secret society and you're trying to get new members."

Having Azula learn about the White Lotus was hardly ideal, but there was little she could do to it while in prison, so instead of yelling about it Iroh merely asked, "Did Zuko tell you about it?"

After all, Zuko had been rather annoyed at Iroh after leaving him earlier, and recently he had been less hostile towards Azula. He now visited his sister regularly and was working towards figuring out a way to get her out of prison, although Iroh was secretly hoping it would never work out. Outside of prison, Azula was too dangerous.

Azula chuckled lowly. "Oh really, uncle. You put far too little faith in Zuko sometimes. I may have mocked poor little Zuzu in my time, and maybe I do it still, but I would never underestimate him. One thing you should know by now is that he would never tell anyone another's secrets. Though I can usually get him to give his own out like candy."

On her breath was a wisp of smoke, a piece of firebending that the jailers couldn't restrict. It was both a blessing and a curse, sometimes, that a firebender could bend as long as he or she could breathe. Still, it should be no danger. Azula was not like Iroh, able to expel fully fledged flame from his mouth. It was safe. But his hands still trembled at his sides.

"No," Azula continued. "I heard nothing from Zuko about you. But Iroh, you should know I have my sources."

Iroh nodded his head slowly, twice. Then he said, "And why is it a concern of yours that I seek members for my Order?"

Azula laughed brightly. "Oh, uncle. I can hear your thoughts. No, I am not planning on sabotaging your recruitment. Of course, if I wanted to, I have no doubt I could ruin it all quite properly for you. I could send out some rumors, maybe send out a few benders as well, till your Order gained quite a bad reputation. Or I could just expend massive amounts of money in bribing, though I have no doubt you could get around that. Do _not_ ask where I'd get the money, uncle, I have _sources_. Still, I am not at all interested in ripping up your lotus. On the contrary."

She paused, and smirked with her canines gleaming white. "I wanted to ask if I could join."

Iroh said, "That was a joke, right?"

"No. I could be useful, you know. I could get you information no one else could."

"I don't know what you're planning, Azula, but I do know that you will never be allowed into the Order. Even you must admit that you cannot be trusted."

"Please, uncle," Azula purred. "I've changed. You liked the look so much on Zuko, why do you object to it so much on me?"

"Because you are lying," Iroh answered her curtly. "And Zuko was not."

"No, no, little Zuzu never lies, does he? Except to himself." Azula let out another smoky burst of breath, this time in a chuckle. "And not even to himself that much anymore. Little Zuzu is all grown up and ruling the Fire Nation." She stopped laughing and said seriously, "Do you really expect me to be as honest as Zuko? If you were honest with yourself you'd know that everyone lies sometimes."

"It is not the lying that bothers me most. It is the fact that you shot lightning at your own brother."

"Oh, siblings always do fight," Azula said casually. "He shot as much flame at me as I did at him."

Iroh's fists clenched. "Lighting, Azula. Without extensive healing it is always lethal. It put him in the sick bay for days even with Katara's best treatment."

"He's forgiven me, though," Azula intoned. "He visits me every other day, did you know that? The injury was his, not yours. Stop carrying a grudge."

Iroh calmed himself with her words. They were true enough. Zuko did not carry grudges for long, and not in this case, not against his own sister. Still. "It is not a matter of forgiveness. You asked to join a society that seeks to keep order, peace and balance in this world. I look at you and I see a girl that tried to kill her own brother both methodically, repeatedly, and maniacally. You are not someone I can trust with the fate of this world and frankly I think you are mad."

"There is no way," he concluded. "That you could ever join the Order of the White Lotus."

Azula's eyes narrowed, but she did not yell or protest. She only smiled, and said, "If you change your mind I will still be interested in joining. If…" she laughed. "No, _when_ I hear information that will be useful to you I will pass it on. I'll see that you have some support, too."

"You cannot do that from this prison," Iroh said calmly (except no, this was Azula, he wasn't calm at all). "No one can even visit you without permission from the firelord, and you have no way to contact the outside world."

"Iroh, you're a fool. You know perfectly well I have ways to contact anyone I want. Maybe Zuko isn't the only one you're underestimating."

"Don't threaten me," Iroh hissed.

"The only threat to you," Azula said contemptuously. "Is your own arrogance. You may leave now."

And he did.

She wasn't the firelord, no, but she still dominated every room she was in no matter how much Iroh fought it. He told the head jailer to change the guards on Azula in case they were her sources. Still, he had little confidence it would fix anything. Azula would go on being Azula, but he wouldn't let her into the Order, at least not officially. Who knew the consequences if she managed to dominate even there?

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AN: The humor will be back next time...probably with Toph, though I am still open to suggestions.

If anyone would like to complain about and/or comment on and/or compliment the mood whiplash, be my guest...review.


	3. Chapter 3

Toph had liked Iroh from the first time she met him. He was old, wise, friendly, awesome at bending (like, literally awe inducing) and made pretty good tea too. When the war was over, she found excuses to be in the Fire Nation capital as much as possible. This was partially just so she could see Zuko (who was pretty cool, and a good friend) but also so she could stay in contact with Iroh.

In fact, these days she had tea with Iroh and Zuko every few days, and sometimes with Iroh alone. It was peaceful and always left her feeling like she'd been refreshed. Good for her, really, since the way she liked to run around the city hunting up adventures and looking for fighting matches and avoiding fans always left her tired.

In any case, having tea with Iroh was a good thing. In this case, she had another reason to do so as well. So she'd asked him out to the garden to have a picnic, with tea of course. His rooms were nice enough, but they had wood floors which made her unable to see through Earth bending.

"So Twinkle-Toes told me you're looking for new members for the Order," she said casually as she started drinking her tea.

Iroh, who had already started drinking his own tea, tilted his head towards her. "Oh, are you interested in joining? I have to admit, I would be pleased if you managed to get in."

"_If_ I managed to get in? Why wouldn't I?" Toph said, confused. "Wait, it's not because I have rich parents is it? It's not like my family's that important." Zuko had been unable to join because he was the firelord (he'd told her) and Aang hadn't been able to join because he was the Avatar, but her family was just mildly influential, nothing at that level.

"Oh, no. Look at me. I am a prince of the Fire Nation and I am still allowed to be a member of the White Lotus. Even Master Pakku enjoys a high position in the court of the North Pole." Iroh chuckled. "Actually, it is mostly rich old men who have the time to be in secret societies. I have been hoping to get more lower class people to join, but that is another thing I will have to work on."

Toph snorted. Iroh would probably have that difficulty sorted out in weeks if he actually set his mind to it. The man had a quaint yet kind way of charming everyone around him, regardless of social class. He didn't know many young people, perhaps, but only because his work counseling Zuko and being a diplomat or a White Lotus Grandmaster took up most of his time. If it weren't for that, she knew he would have been out in the city street chatting with street kids, young nobles and everyone else under the sun.

"There are a few other factors to be considered though," Iroh continued. "For one thing, there's your age."

Toph clenched her fists. Why did everyone look at the little blind girl and automatically think "weak"? She'd proved that she was as tough as any full grown man to the Boulder and his ilk, and she would gladly prove it to Iroh if the necessity arose.

"But I don't think that's an issue."

Toph sighed in relief. Sure, it would be almost fun to beat some sense into the old man if he thought she was too young to join the Order, but it was nice not to be underestimated for once. And she was glad Iroh had some respect for her.

"More importantly," said Iroh. "There is one skill set that is absolutely essential to being a member of the White Lotus. And no, it's not bending. There are many successful nonbenders in the Order, and besides, that is one skill I do not doubt you have."

Toph grinned. "Pretty much everyone in the four nations knows about it now, bud. I'm famous."

Iroh nodded. "Certainly. People talk about you all the time. Quite a few names they call you too: the Blind Bandit, Lady Bei Fong, 'Tough'…"

"I like the last one," Toph said easily, wickedly pleased. Fame seemed to annoy Katara more often than not, as she had to constantly dodge admirers and received an insane number of flowers. But Toph was too young to get that kind of attention, at least for the most part. Instead there were a number of earthbenders and kids who pretty much worshipped her name due to stories of her battling skills.

Iroh chuckled. Come to think of it, the man had a few nicknames for himself too. Dragon of the West was the most famous one, but she had heard some slightly more low key ones. At the North Pole they called him the Moon Saver (okay that one was not actually that low key). At the South Pole they called him That General Guy, because apparently that was what Sokka had called him when he was telling them about Aang's travels. And in Ba Sing Se, they had started calling him "The Prince of Tea."

Toph had a feeling he would be the most flattered at the last one.

But cool nicknames were not what got you into the Order. Skill did, and apparently there was one skill Toph might not have. She narrowed her eyes. "What do I have to do to get into the Order then?"

Iroh put his cup of tea down and said, more seriously, "Well, the main thing is that you have to be good at Pai Sho."

If Toph wasn't blind, she would have stared. She was blind, so instead she said, "Please repeat that."

Iroh said, "To join the Order of the White Lotus, it is a requirement for you to be an excellent Pai Sho player."

Toph listened to his tone and his heartbeat and blood pressure. Not kidding, apparently, unless he was another Azula and could hide his emotions really, really well.

She said it anyways. "You must be kidding."

"Pai Sho is an important part of an Order member's lifestyle," Iroh said serenely. "Originally, my compatriots and I founded the Order of the White Lotus as a Pai Sho club. It was not until later that we became interested in maintaining the balance of the world."

And he was still not kidding.

Well, Toph would not be daunted just because of a little unconventionality. She knew if she had her own secret society, she would have come up with crazy requirements for joining too. And she could handle this.

"My parents taught me how to play Pai Sho when I was five," Toph said, cracking her knuckles. "They thought I'd be bad at it because I couldn't see the board, but they couldn't give up on it because it was a game all nobles have to know how to play." She smiled, remembering how she'd beaten her father a couple months after learning because he'd gone easy on her. "I think I can handle it."

Iroh's voice was pleased as he said, "A game then, to judge your level of skill."

For some crazy reason which Toph thought was probably just Iroh being Iroh, the garden had a full blown Pai Sho table in it. They both sat down at it and started playing immediately, Iroh allowing Toph the first move because of his seniority and superior skill.

An hour later, Toph was forced to admit surrender. He'd finally beaten her with the placing of a white lotus tile, and she had a feeling he'd been dragging the game out just so he'd be able to do it.

When she said as much to Iroh, he laughed out loud.

"I admit I could have won before now," he said when he was composed enough to sip tea without spitting it. "But I was not doing it for any such reason. I merely wished to infer how good you are, and of course I was enjoying the game myself. I hope you too enjoyed it?"

"Sure," Toph said with a shrug. "Been a while since I played Pai Sho, though. I've played against Zuko once or twice. He's not as good as you, but still pretty good."

"He plays recklessly," Iroh commented. "You, my young friend, do not. Those were some very solid moves you did in that corner. I had to think fast. Of course, you will grow better with experience. Playing with other White Lotus members ought to give you some."

Toph snorted. "It's a bit hard to find them, Iroh. Seeing as it's a secret society and all."

"Yes," said Iroh calmly. "But those of us in the capital have a secret Pai Sho night once every two weeks. As a member you will be able to come to those."

Toph gulped, and then squeaked, "A-As a member?"

Iroh said, "If you still wish to join, I will be glad to accept your…application."

"OF COURSE I still want to join! I can lord this over Aang for years!" Toph crowed. "Oh, and, umm, I can help keep the balance of the elements and protect the Avatar and all that jazz too. Sounds like the honorable thing to do."

"Then," Iroh said grandly. "Welcome to the Order of the White Lotus, Lady Toph Bei Fong. I will write to my colleagues about an official initiation ceremony, but as of now you are one of us."

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AN: And so Toph joins the Order. Will anyone else? I am not sure who to do next chapter, so if you have suggestions then please review! If you don't, please review anyways! And if you don't review, then come back next time for the next chapter of APPLYING FOR THE ORDEEERRRRR!

Okay, that was slightly overdone. Lo siento, lo siento.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Thanks for all the review, guys. For those of you who asked for Ozai, I'm sorry but at this point even Yue's more likely to show up than him. this is because I can actually think of a way she would get involved (don't ask, it's highly unlikely too) but I cannot think of a reasonable way to involve Ozai. And while this story gets a little cracky and is obviously humor, I do try to keep people more or less in character. If someone can think of a way Ozai would get involved while staying in character, it would actually be pretty awesome, so let me know.

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Mai had tea with Iroh often enough. They weren't the best of friends, but of all the people in the Four Nations, they knew and cared about Zuko more than anyone. Not counting Azula, of course, because Azula knew about everyone and didn't particularly care about Zuko except in the sense that she could manipulate him.

So Iroh and Mai often would meet up to discuss how Zuko was doing. Sometimes Mai and Zuko would argue, and then Mai would come to Iroh for advice about how to make up without groveling, because Mai did not grovel to anyone and particularly not to her own boyfriend. And occasionally Iroh would invite Mai over for tea because he was a gossip and wanted to know how she and Zuko were getting along…what they were up to…and of course whether he had proposed yet. Iroh was hoping the proposal would happen soon. It had been a long time since there had been a marriage in the royal family.

Today Mai had come to visit Iroh with a serious, almost dangerous look on her face. Also it was not teatime. These two facts suggested that she was not just there for a social visit.

He offered her tea anyways, of course, but she merely glared at him. She did sit down when he offered her a chair, but only grudgingly.

Without tea to drink, Iroh was uncomfortably without something to fiddle with. He half wanted to ask Mai to play Pai Sho as they talked, but she would probably resent it. In any case, if he had to assess her Pai Sho skills he wanted to play a game where they were both undistracted, and it was clear that Mai would want to talk first.

"I assume Zuko told you about our conversation the other day," Iroh said finally. "About the White Lotus?"

Mai nodded.

"And I assume that's why you're here," Iroh continued, fidgeting without tea to drink.

"Close enough," Mai answered, her eyes narrowing. "Looks like Zuko was pretty upset, hmm?"

Iroh chuckled. "Very. Luckily his temper doesn't last long." He frowned. "Unless he sent you to convince me to let him join…"

Mai frowned right back. "Zuko can speak for himself. If he still wanted in, he wouldn't send me here in his place." She smiled sarcastically. "Looks like you successfully diverted him."

"Well, he's mature enough to know he can't have everything he wants," Iroh said. "So, what are you here for? Is it that you want to get into the White Lotus? That could be somewhat difficult."

Mai snorted. "Yeah. We get that it's difficult. You have to have pretty hard criteria if you're keeping Zuko out."

"Well, it's not that difficult," Iroh protested. "Only for important people. You, for example, could be the nation's firelady someday. Can you honestly say you would be unbiased and do what is best for all the nations, not just your own? And with Zuko as your husband, or at least your boyfriend, he'd clearly have your ear. You'd be influenced by his concerns, and possibly put them above the greater good."

"Oh how horrible," Mai muttered. "A girl actually cares about her boyfriend. A boy actually loves his girlfriend. This can only go badly."

Iroh grimaced. "I'm sorry. I did not mean to disparage your relationship with Zuko. I am very happy that my nephew has found love with such a lovely and charming lady as you, and he is indeed fortunate that you love him back."

Mai smiled. Only it was more of a lip spasm. Iroh couldn't tell if she was trying to smile and not quite managing, or beginning to smile despite trying not to. He wasn't sure which he would prefer. Surely Mai could smile naturally with him. Was she that nervous about joining the Order?

"All these things are factors about whether you could join the White Lotus, though," he added. "I have to consider all applicants carefully. Still, I think it's not a huge issue. After all, I have a tendency to listen to Zuko myself, and it doesn't stop me from doing my duty as an Order member. All that remains is to test your Pai Sho skill. Shall we have a game?"

Mai glared straight at him. "I didn't come here to play Pai Sho."

"It's a requirement for-"

"And I didn't come here to join your stupid Order," she hissed.

Iroh paused, and raised an eyebrow. "Then, Lady Mai, what are you here for?"

Mai smiled, slowly and threateningly. "I am here, General Iroh, to talk about tea."

This answer only served to confuse Iroh further. Tea? But she had refused to drink any when he had offered, and she had never shown an interest in the subject before. And if all she wanted was to discuss tea, why so serious? She'd been looking grim and annoyed ever since she'd arrived.

"Herbal tea in particular," she continued, her voice still angry. "I don't like it. Not even slightly. I like mint tea and black tea, and maybe some lemon tea sometimes, but that's about it. And I don't really advertise that I like tea at all. Usually Zuko and I drink simple tea or juice, and that is enough."

"So imagine my surprise, Iroh, when he invites me to tea one day with some weird herbal tea and expects me to like it. He even said it was a surprise. When I said I didn't like it, he looked really disappointed. I think he expected me to be really excited. He does try to do nice favors for me sometimes. He's a good boyfriend, when his uncle," she paused to glare at Iroh again. "doesn't interfere."

Iroh gulped slightly, suddenly knowing where this was headed.

"So," Mai said with a flat tone. "I asked him why he thought I'd like it. And he said you told him it was my favorite kind of tea." She stopped glaring, and smiled instead. "Do you have any idea how much that tea cost him? That tea that you only told him I liked to calm him down?"

Iroh swallowed again, suddenly glad that he didn't have any tea after all. He wanted to drink some very much right now, but he could tell that would only make Mai madder.

"That type of tea is very expensive. I did not think he would be able to find it."

Mai sighed slowly and let the tension out of her body. "Of course that's not really the issue. The issue is that you think you can just mention my name to manipulate Zuko any way you want."

Iroh shook his head. "I do not intend to use you to manipulate him, Lady Mai. I only wanted to calm him down and I know he always calms down when he thinks about you."

"Yeah?" Mai shot back. "Well maybe sometimes my boyfriend has a right to be angry. He's been planning on joining this society of yours for years now, you know. He should be furious at you for letting him believe he could join when you never had any intention of admitting him. And instead, you get off with only a few frustrated screams! Zuko really looks up to you, you know. If you're worthy of that, you should be able to take a little anger like a man."

Iroh sighed. "I just do not like to see him so frustrated. He needs to learn how to stay calm."

"He's calm enough," Mai said. "But I don't think he's going to learn much about controlling himself if you always control him instead."

"I do not have any control over Zuko that he does not allow me to have."

"I know that's true," Mai said flatly. "But someday, he'll be strong enough not to rely on you so much anymore. Until then, at least leave me out of it."

She stood up, brushed imaginary dust off her robes, and said, "Good bye, Iroh."

Then she walked out the door.

Iroh, left alone, went to get himself some tea, still feeling guilty. But why was he feeling guilty? It was only a simple trick to get Zuko to calm down. Really it was for the boy's own good, as well as Iroh's. He hadn't regretted it when he'd used it three days ago. In fact, he hadn't thought twice about the matter until Mai had brought it up.

Mai, he mused. A master manipulator. A woman clever enough to win the trust of Azula and the love of the prince, and thank heavens she loved him back or Iroh knew she could break his heart like it was glass. A woman like that, deceptively twisty yet honest and good, was exactly what the Order needed.

Perhaps, given some time to cool off, she would reconsider the matter of joining. In the meantime, Iroh had other prospects to deal with.

* * *

AN: And so this chapter comes to an end. It went a little off track, but I prefer to let chapters have a little control of themselves than force the storyline where it doesn't want to go.

Thanks again for all the reviews, guys, especially to those I couldn't respond to because they were guest reviewers or those I didn't respond to because I was a jerk and forgot. Next time will probably be Katara, but I make no promises.


	5. Chapter 5

Katara had not wanted to join any secret society blindly.

Certainly the idea of joining the Order of the White Lotus appealed to her. She thought it sounded like they did the right thing. But neither she nor Aang nor anyone really knew what the Order did when it wasn't fighting evil firelords and taking back cities conquered by the Fire Nation. They had no idea what the White Lotus did in times of peace.

Therefore, to find out a little more about what she was getting herself into (or at least trying to get herself into) she had sent a letter to her old teacher, Master Pakku, asking him about the Order. He was a member himself, so surely he would be able to tell her what they did.

And now, only about a week after she had sent the letter, she was getting one back. Messenger hawks were certainly fast. If she and Aang and Sokka had been able to get to the North Pole that quickly, they could have escaped a lot of trouble.

She opened the letter carefully. It was always wonderful to get word from her old teacher, but this time she felt a little apprehension too. This letter would tell her all she needed to know about the White Lotus. Something containing so many secrets could not be taken lightly.

It was rolled like a scroll, and she had to unroll it and flatten it before she could start to read.

"Dear Pupil Katara,

Today I have been teaching a few idiots how to a water whip. It is their third day working on it and as much as I know that it takes some pupils longer than others to learn, this is ridiculous. You told me yourself that you picked up this technique in less than two days with no teacher but a scroll. How is it then that they, with the advantage of me teaching them, have not even got the basics of it yet?

These pupils, by the way, are girls. I accept that some girls, like yourself, are worthy of learning waterbending as a fighting style but seeing these specimens I must maintain that some are not.

Receiving your letter was a relief after dealing with such idiots. I hope life in the Fire Capital is treating you well. I understand that you always want to be with Aang, but please make time soon to come and visit the North Pole again. I myself have only been here for a few months after traveling to the South Pole and staying there a while, as you know. It would be good to talk to you about the recent news.

You wrote to me about a certain matter. I do not approve of you writing about such matters of paper. Also, since you are not yet initiated, I cannot tell you much information. Iroh, however, is very picky about who he will allow to join, so you will have to impress him to get in. I wish you luck.

I also wish you would write to me even when you did not have urgent matters to address. You have not been in contact with me since I sent you a letter seven months ago. That is a long time not to answer a letter, pupil Katara.

Your teacher,

Master Pakku."

Katara reread it twice and then, with a sigh, rolled it back up and put it in a drawer.

Maybe she should have foreseen that the letter would not have anything useful in it. Pakku was a good teacher, but he could be stubborn, and if he and the rest of the Order had managed to keep their secrets until now, they apparently weren't going to give them away just because a friend asked.

In any case, it was no use trying to ask again. It seemed she was going to try to join a secret society blindly after all. Well, Toph had done it, so at least she was in good company.

She had only had tea with Iroh a few times before and always when Aang was with her, so she felt slightly nervous when she went to see Iroh. He was as casual and gracious as ever, pouring her tea and asking her to sit down. It helped a little, but not much. Katara honestly did not adore tea the way many people in the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom appeared to, but it did settle her nerves.

Sipping slowly, she said, "I want to join the Order of the White Lotus."

Iroh smiled. "I thought you did. Everyone who visits me these days wants to. Well, that or talking about politics, challenging me to Pai Sho, tasting my excellent tea, having music night in my room, or…Zuko. But still, I had a feeling that you were not one of those people."

Katara smiled a little self mockingly. "Yes, I'm not too big on politics. Mostly I just talk to Aang about them. And I guess I don't really come up for tea or music nights. And I don't even know how to play Pai Sho. And I'm definitely not Zuko," she ended with a laugh.

Iroh, for some  
reason, looked troubled. This was strange since a few seconds ago he had looked very pleased to see her. But now his brow was creasing. "I'm afraid that might be a problem."

"What?"Katara asked, puzzled. "Not being Zuko?"

"No," Iroh said, shaking his head. "The fact that you do not know how to play Pai Sho. I must tell you, Pai Sho is very central to the lifestyle of a White Lotus member."

"Yes, well," Katara laughed again. "I don't think knowing a board game will affect my bending skills or help me be a better secret society member."

Iroh sipped his tea gravely. He then put down his cup and folded his hands in front of him. "Playing Pai Sho does not affect one's bending skills, it is true. Ozai never played Pai Sho, and he was still a great bender. But playing it does increase one's mental capabilities. You learn how to strategize, how to read your opponent's intentions, and in doing so in a board game, you learn how to do so in real life. Also it was the founding tenet of our organization before we became a real secret society. I cannot accept a member who cannot play a skillful game of Pai Sho."

Katara glared at the old man. This was ridiculous. She could plan as well as anyone and fight as well as anyone, even if she did not know how to play a game like Pai Sho. Were all members of the White Lotus narrow minded?

"I have never had a chance to learn how to play Pai Sho," she said evenly. "We play different games at the South Pole."

Iroh smiled, suddenly delighted. "Is that so? Well, we cannot leave it like that, can we? Come over here to the board and I'll teach you how."

The Pai Sho board was the biggest game board Katara had ever seen, covering a whole table. True, she had seen them before, but she had never sat down to play at one before. It was all a little intimidating.

Iroh was still grinning. "I haven't taught anyone to play Pai Sho since I tried to teach Azula," he informed her. "And she didn't even like the game, though who knows why. She was good enough at it but after she knew the basics she refused to ever play! Now you would not neglect a game like that, I hope."

"Depends on if I like it," Katara said with what she hoped looked like a confident smile. "So what are the rules?"

It took Iroh about fifteen minutes to explain. When he was done, Katara was still rather confused, but ready to attempt a game. Iroh moved the first piece. He placed a white lotus tile in the center of the board.

Go figure.

The game lasted less time than it had taken Iroh to explain it.

Katara sighed. She knew it was unreasonable to expect herself to be good enough to join the Order the first time she played Pai Sho, but she had still given it her all. But Iroh was just too strong. The man had seemed to predict her every move, and she had lost before she had even gotten a feel for the game.

"You were very good."

Startled, she looked up. Iroh was looking at the board with an air of satisfaction, but it wasn't the satisfaction of a man who had won a game. Instead, he looked rather content.

"Um…No need to be polite," Katara assured him. "I know I was awful, it was my first game, okay?"

Iroh chuckled. "Exactly. For your first time, you show quite some potential, young lady." He looked up from the board and met her eyes. "You may not be good enough to join the Order yet, but I believe that with practice you will have the required skill. Maybe you should play against my nephew some time," he added with a wink.

Katara found her cheeks heating up. "I have a boyfriend."

"And Zuko has a girlfriend. I wasn't suggesting anything," Iroh said innocently. "If you want to practice Pai Sho, feel free to come and practice against me any time you want. I always enjoy a game against a new adversary, particularly a pupil."

Katara smiled, still disappointed but a bit less so. "I just may take you up on that."

* * *

AN: I still want ideas as to how I could bring Ozai into this, but I don't really expect any. Also this time I once again am not sure who to do next. It's split between Suki, Ty Lee, Yue and Jin. Also, I apologize if this chapter was awkward. Writing Katara is not my strong point.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Two meetings in a prison. And no one tries to join the Order. Yet.

* * *

Ozai did not like solitude. Therefore, unlike Azula, it was common for him to ask people to visit him. Many of these visits were forbidden, of course, so that he could not scheme against Zuko and try to take the Fire Nation back. But visits from Zuko himself, Iroh, and a few other trusted friends, were allowed.

It was actually a little bizarre how often Ozai would summon Iroh to his cell to have some random discussion with him-arguing over how Iroh was a traitor and Ozai winning the war really was for the best, debating over how he really didn't need the prison's mind-healer to visit him, and insulting Iroh in every way a man can come up with when he has nothing else to do but sit in his cell and think up insults. And occasionally he would challenge Iroh to games of Pai Sho. Iroh did not mind visiting Ozai, because even though he was insane and evil, in the end they were still brothers.

But it was a nuisance. And really very annoying, to the point that Iroh wondered where Ozai got the determination to demand he come down so often. And why Iroh? As far as he knew, Ozai had never asked Zuko to visit him, and he was the new Firelord and his son. It was something to look into, though he doubted Zuko cared about it.

In any case, his annoying brother had summoned him to the cell again today, looking far more imperious than any man who probably hadn't even taken a bath in a very long time had a right to.

"Iroh," Ozai said severely. "I understand that you miss Lu Ten, but must you corrupt all my children?"

Iroh sighed deeply. "I did not corrupt Zuko. I merely helped him to get through a difficult time that you imposed on him by banishing him. And he chose to help the Avatar of his own accord."

"I am not talking about Zuko," Ozai interrupted. "Though that was still your fault. I am talking about my daughter, Iroh! Is it not enough for you to turn my son against me? Must you recruit Azula too?"

Iroh blinked and then said, "I have not been corrupting Azula."

"Don't give me your nonsense, Iroh," Ozai snarled. "Maybe you think you're changing her for the better, that it's for the greater good, but you're turning her away from me and you know that's what I mean."

"That-that…" Iroh sputtered. "No, I haven't been changing her at all. I haven't even talked to her." Except that one time a few days ago. And that had just been an argument, really, and she had been the one who had summoned him.

"Then how come I've heard from her that she's joined the Order of the White Lotus?"

Iroh gaped. "Ozai, Azula has not joined the Order of the White Lotus. I'm pretty sure I would know about that."

"Well, I have received information that she has."

"Who have you received this information from, brother? For one matter, it is incorrect. And for another, you are not supposed to be communicating with anyone without Zuko's express permission!"

* * *

"Well, Iroh is being a nuisance about who he lets in the order," Azula drawled to her visitor. "I sent a message to Father yesterday, so perhaps now he'll get a taste of my annoyance. But it's not matter. He'll let me into it in time, I'm sure." She smirked lightly. "Right now, you should focus on yourself, Ty Lee."

Azula's friend shrugged. "Oh, I guess so. But it's so good to see you, Azula!" She bounced up and down in place, then gave up on trying staying still and turned a triple somersault and then a triple backward somersault. "It's been so long…"

Ty Lee had at first, when the war was over, gone off to Kyoshi Island and become a Kyoshi warrior. Soon, however, she had discovered that the lifestyle didn't suit her. There was far too much meditation for her liking, and the fans were clumsy for a girl accustomed to fighting with her bare hands. She had come back to the Fire Nation for a short time, during which she had more or less made up with Azula, and then set off to travel the world with varying circuses and sometimes just by herself, in the process becoming slightly famous. She now had the kind of name to recognize, even if it wasn't revered.

Only a day or two, during a tour in a nearby area of the Fire Nation, she had received a letter from Azula. Certainly it was not signed with Azula's name, since if it got intercepted or later found it would be bad for people to know that Azula was actually able to send mail and contact whomever she wanted due to certain friends of hers, but it was Azula's handwriting and most definitely Azula's words. It had talked about Iroh, a secret society that Ty Lee had never heard of until now, and a chance to join. Ty Lee was not sure about it but since it meant a reason to go visit Azula, she had hiked over to the capital and then to the prison.

Azula smiled, not evilly or smugly or even with amusement, but softly, fondly. It was a look she didn't wear often. In fact, Ty Lee had never seen her wear it around anyone but herself, though she wondered if Zuko could bring it out too.

"Yes. It has been a while, hasn't it? But I've been busy."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, politics, politics, politics, manipulation, intrigue, boring. Don't see why you have to do it in a prison cell. Can't I just break you out, Azula?" Ty Lee whined.

Azula said, "No."

"Why not? I don't think Zuko would really mind as long as you don't start a revolution. I bet he'd be happy. And this place is so gloomy. I really don't know why you haven't gotten acne yet."

Azula smirked. People tended to get ailments rather worse than acne in a prison cell, but she had it under control. Nor was she chained up nearly as much as dear old uncle Iroh would have liked to believe. Zuko nearly always let her out of the chains during his visits, for one thing, and, well…connections. So she got enough exercise. She also got somewhat better food than other prisoners, and she had never been prone to sickness. She thought it had something to do with her strong inner fire, but either way she had never been ill the way most prisoners would have been in this unsanitary place.

As for the why not, well. It was good for Ty Lee to be trusted. If it appeared that she had broken Azula out of jail then she would be in trouble with the law. This would not be good for Azula's plans.

It did not, of course, have anything to do with the fact that Ty Lee was her best friend and she didn't want to get her in trouble. Such a small detail was beneath Azula. She was a princess after all. It was just tactically the best option.

In any case, "When I want to get out of this prison I will, Ty Lee," she said reassuringly. "Any time I wanted I could escape in seven different ways, not to mention getting Zuko to pardon me. He's so easy to guilt trip."

"Azula," Ty Lee said seriously. "You haven't been bullying Zuko, have you?"

Azula put on her sweetest smile as she said, "I don't know what you mean. How could I, a mere teenage girl, bully the great firelord while chained hand and foot? Surely the great firelord is not intimidated so easily."

"Azula!" Ty Lee  
protested, half concerned and half laughing.

Azula laughed lightly. Then she said, "Don't worry. I've been playing nice. Mostly."

Ty Lee bit back a retort. It was too much to expect Azula to be completely nice. She had been sculpting herself into a weapon of intimidation and manipulation since the day she turned three. Before then she had still been a bit of a brat, but on that day specifically she had turned to Ty Lee and declared that, as her goal from then on, she was "going to learn to make people do what I want even better than Daddy!"

She had then gone on to steal Zuko's cake, which she ate, and his favorite pair of boots, for no reason at all, and when he got mad she had somehow gotten him to apologize for not giving them sooner. Then he had gotten her another piece of cake and gotten in trouble with Ursa for giving Azula too much to eat.

Ty Lee, having borne witness to this and many other incidents like it, knew that complete peace with Zuko was impossible. At best, Azula would always still manipulate whoever she wanted, but at least these days she seemed to do it without malice. Unless the target was Iroh, who had somehow earned her ire and would no doubt suffer until Azula had what she wanted.

"It's good to see you and Zuko getting along," she said warmly.

"Yes, yes, it's all lovely," Azula said dismissively. "Now, Iroh will probably be wary of letting you into the Order since you are my friend. Deny me all you want if it seems to help. I need you to get in, Ty Lee. Now the most difficult thing will probably be Pai Sho. I hear he requires every member to play up to his standards."

Ty Lee frowned. "And I still lose to you whenever we play."

"Well, I am better than most. Don't worry too much, dear. Just be yourself. And act trustworthy. And mature. And pretending to like tea would probably be for the best, too."

"So be myself except not myself."

"Exactly," Azula said with a nod.

"Well," Ty Lee said brightly. "Thanks for the advice, Azula. I'll come to visit you again soon!"

* * *

AN: Here's hoping that will satisfy everyone's Ozai cravings. He is not joining the Order. Strange things may happen in this story, but not that strange.

Although with a chapter I'm planning to come after Ty Lee, I may have to take that back.

Also, Sokka will be around eventually, but right now he's at the South Pole chilling. Lo siento.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: I wrote this feeling very low on energy. Next chapter will probably have more excitement. This one is just a lull.

* * *

Ty Lee was something of a conundrum.

On the one hand, Iroh could think of many reasons to keep her out. For one thing, she simply didn't have the temperament for the Order of the White Lotus. She was bouncy and cheerful, missing the serenity that Iroh wanted all his members to have. He had rarely ever seen her sit still for more than a few minutes and it always seemed to relieve her when she could stand up.

She was also a friend of Azula's. Of all Azula's friends, she was probably the one closest to her. Even Mai had never been friends with Azula the way Ty Lee was, and the friendship had not ended when Azula was cast into prison. Indeed, it seemed to only have gotten stronger. It was possible, in fact, that she had come to Iroh on Azula's orders, and would be Azula's mole if she joined.

On the other hand, she had shown an ability to be serious in battle, and she had a respect for life that Iroh admired. Many Fire Nation soldiers did not know how to defeat an enemy without killing them, but Ty Lee's techniques were especially good at this. She somewhat paralyzed people for a certain amount of time, but she did not kill them even though her technique left them vulnerable. And she showed further seriousness in her Pai Sho skills, which were better than Iroh would have imagined.

As for Azula, well. Even Iroh's nephew still loved Azula. And she had shown that her friendship with Azula did not stop her from doing the right thing when she had stood against Azula with Mai at the Boiling Rock. Iroh had heard the story many times. It was a good story, of valor and friendship and of course of romance, which was the main reason Zuko told it. Iroh thought Zuko may have fallen in love with Mai all over again that day. What Mai did overshadowed what Ty Lee had done, but the fact still remained that Ty Lee was willing to betray a friend to do what was right.

Iroh was sympathetic with this because being a member of the Order had forced him to betray his own brother in order to end the war. Betrayal brought pain to both the traitor and the betrayed, but sometimes it was necessary. Few realized that.

In addition to this, the girl was very pretty. And she was nice.

Iroh decided she could join.

She turned three handsprings. Still standing on her hands, she said, "So, do you like, have secret meetings or something?"

"About twice a month," Iroh said. "We meet in secret to play Pai Sho. Although you will have to be initiated before you can come to them."

"Cool! What's the initiation like? Is there hazing? Are there cupcakes?" Ty Lee asked anxiously. She did a back walkover into an upright position, but then went back onto her hands again and started pacing.

"I will see if any of the members can bring cupcakes if it would please you," Iroh said doubtfully. "Usually we just have tea and buns."

"Do you have uniforms?" Ty Lee asked excitedly.

"No. It's a secret society. If we wear uniforms in public, it won't stay secret," Iroh said patiently.

"Can I make uniforms?"

"No. It's a secret society. Wearing uniforms is not what secret societies do."

"But," Ty Lee said curiously. "What does your secret society do? I mean now that the war is done and all."

"We do very important things," Iroh said. Like drinking tea. Someone had to keep tea appreciation alive, and he needed people to test his different strains of tea out on. Playing Pai Sho was also very important. It was an art that had lasted through many ages, and it increased spiritual strength.

"Oh," Ty Lee said. "Okay." She got back on her feet again and announced, "I'm going to go tell Azula I got in!"

"Wait," Iroh said. "Azula shouldn't…" but she was already out the door.

It was useless to try to keep information from Azula in any case, since she seemed to have a pretty thorough information system going in the capital, but he could at least have held the process up. Maybe he shouldn't have let Ty Lee join after all.

But he couldn't say that now, not after she'd been so happy. Surely everything would turn out fine.

/…/…/

Sokka liked to keep in contact with his little sister. He worried about her a lot. So once every two or three days he would send her a letter by hawk. It was a pity he couldn't just be with her in the Fire Nation capital, but at the South Pole all men were needed for rebuilding the city they used to be. Sokka hoped that one day, when the rebuilding was complete, the city would be as beautiful as the North Pole.

Despite conscientiously sending all these letters to Katara and to Aang and occasionally to Zuko or even Toph (she could someone else to read them to her), Sokka rarely received a reply. He only got one or two letters a week. Life was cruel like that.

Today, however, Katara had sent him not only a letter, but a long one. Unfortunately it was about business.

Namely, the Order of the White Lotus. Apparently Iroh was recruiting members and Katara thought he should come to the Fire Nation capital to see if he could join. Well, Sokka had always been fond of secret societies, and Piandao was in the Order, so he supposed it was worth a try.

But could the tribe spare him?

He went to talk to Hakoda about it.

"Dad, I got a letter from Katara," he said as soon as he could drag Hakoda away from his work supervising the wall being rebuilt. "I thought I should show it to you."

"Well, I always like hearing from Katara," Hakoda said confusedly. His son had a very serious look on his face. Usually when he got letters from his sister he acted really happy and hyper, so it was…odd.

A few minutes later he understood.

"So, you want to take a shot at joining the order?" Hakoda said. He chuckled. "Well then…go get 'em."

"But wait, I need to be here," Sokka protested. "We're doing important work, dad. I can't just abandon you guys."

Hakoda sighed. "Look, Sokka. I'm always grateful for your help, and you know that you're a full grown man now. But even though everyone's glad to have you here and helping, well, there isn't a war going on anymore. We can handle the workload. Just go to the Fire Nation; I'm sure your sister will be glad to see you."

Sokka made a face. "I know you don't need me, but…This is my home. I should be here and helping."

"And you have been here, Sokka," Hakoda said earnestly. "You were the only man in the tribe for years, remember? And you've been working with us ever since the war ended. Consider this a vacation. Only," he added with a wicked grin. "A vacation where you may possibly end up joining a secret society and help to save the world."

Sokka grinned. "I can think of worse things to do with time off."

* * *

AN: Next chapter is Sokka...and this story probably isn't going to be much longer.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: About two or three more chapters before this story is done, so if you have any suggestions, you'd better make them soon. This chapter is Sokka. I love the guy, so I hope the chapter does him justice.

* * *

Iroh had not seen Sokka in more than a year, or very much even before then. The young man had changed. That was what he was now, a young man, as opposed to the smart talking teenager who Iroh had seen last time. He was more muscular and filled out now, and somewhere along the road he had grown a beard. A short, bristly one, but still.

"Hey, general guy!" Sokka said with a grin, and it was still the same cheesy grin at least. "I want to join your secret society! Think I'd make the cut?"

Iroh smiled but also cringed. "Could you not speak about it so loudly…in the hall?"

"Oh, sorry!" The young water tribe man popped through the door and closed it softly behind himself. He said quietly, "Hey, general guy. I want to join your secret society. Think I'd make the cut?"

"Well," said Iroh slowly. "There are some things to discuss first, some requirements to meet. Why don't we drink tea while we talk about it?"

"Is it fruity tea?" Sokka asked.

"…No, but I can make some of that if you want."

Sokka nodded his head emphatically and Iroh chuckled. There were few people who would consent to an offer of making tea that readily from a general. Most would go on about not wanting to inconvenience him or not needing tea or being fine with what flavors he had ready.

In contrast, Sokka was terribly frank and a bit rude, perhaps. Still, Iroh liked to meet someone willing to be a little impolite to get their favorite kind of tea. He knew that he himself had insulted the owners of many tea shops for brewing tea more like hot water with leaves in it.

The tea was ready for a few minutes and both of them started drinking.

"So you want to join the Order of the White Lotus."

"Yep," Sokka said with an almost heartbreakingly excited face.

Iroh said, "Well, the first qualification is being able to keep a secret and being a good fighter. Since you managed to keep the Avatar alive and free for so long while the whole Fire Nation and my nephew were after him, I think you are qualified in that way."

Sokka grinned. "And I constructed an entire plan to invade the Fire Nation capital that would have actually worked if it wasn't for the Earth King leaking it to Azula." For some reason, everyone forgot that just because it hadn't worked.

"Yes," said Iroh. "I suppose you did. Impressive."

Iroh did not really like the bragging, but most young men did it to an extent (even his own nephew) and it was true, so there was that.

"Diplomatically, I can't think of any way you'd be compromised," Iroh continued. "Unless someday you become chief of the Southern Water Tribe like your father."

Sokka shrugged. "It's not really a hereditary thing. We vote on who it's going to be. I can't really see myself getting voted chief, can you?"

"Actually yes," said Iroh with a furrowed brow. "What with your skills and your reputation as it is now."

Sokka said, "Well, cool. Can you say that again when Katara's around to hear? But it won't be a problem. I can just refuse to be one of the candidates."

"Ah," said Iroh. It seemed Sokka was pretty well prepared to be a member. It was a pity that there was almost no chance that he would fulfill the next requirement.

"You also need to be an excellent Pai Sho player," he told the young man, not looking into his eyes. Apparently it was not played at the South Pole. He hated to turn Sokka away, but it was necessary to be a good player. Completely essential.

And Sokka broke into another grin, brighter than ever. "Well…I knew the day would come that playing Pai Sho would come in handy…How about a game?"

"Oh," said Iroh. "You…know how? I thought they did not play it in your part of the world."

"Well, they don't," Sokka admitted. "But I did quite a bit of travelling with Aang. We spent a particularly long amount of time in Ba Sing Se…"

/…/…/

Sokka first played Pai Sho one night in Ba Sing Se when he was wandering through town and had just been kicked out of a haiku club, where he'd been beaten by a girl. Which had been humiliating. His humiliation had led him to seek new haunts, preferably a place where he could actually win something.

He had wandered into a seedy looking club that he thought was a bar. It turned out to be a Pai Sho club. Sokka had been mystified, but then the owner had explained that the club ended up looking so cheap and scrappy because there weren't enough Pai Sho fanatics in the city for him to get enough money to get a better looking building. It was more of a Fire Nation game.

Sokka had almost walked out, saying he didn't know the game, but an old and muscular man had forced him into a seat at one of the bigger boards, telling him that he could always learn and anyways it was about time for some new blood in the club. Sokka, who never liked to disagree with men twice his size except when necessary, had said he would try the game out.

As the rules were described, he had become intrigued. It was a complicated game, but it sounded like the sort of thing he could dig. After all, he was the strategist in the Aang Gang. And this game was all about strategy.

He had lost his first game in a landslide. His opponent had been completely merciless. Sokka had felt intimidated, but also more fascinated than ever. He had played five more rounds that night, losing every time but by a slightly smaller margin. The old muscular man had laughingly called him a good sport and told him to come back and play again some time.

Sokka would not have needed the invitation to come back, but he appreciated it and came back many times during his stay in Ba Sing Se, whenever he wasn't busy looking for Appa or helping Katara, Toph or Aang with something. Instead of an inexperienced Pai Sho player, he became one of the best in the club. Later, he kept up his skill in the Fire Nation, playing with whomever he could find who knew how. Piandao had played a game or two with him during his apprenticeship, and taught him some more advanced strategies.

Still, he did not know if his skill would be enough to satisfy Iroh, grandmaster of the Order of the White Lotus.

/…/…/

Iroh did not know how much to expect from Sokka. Pai Sho players were all different. Natural skill, experience and state of mind all played into their strategies. The only way to measure their skill was to play against them.

And so he did.

At first, Sokka hesitated before placing his tiles. But as the game grew more intense, he placed them more and more confidently. He also improved as the game went on. Iroh was guessing that, like Toph, he hadn't been able to play Pai Sho much recently. It made sense, since he'd been off at the South Pole.

In turn, Iroh started the game slow, just testing the waters, gauging Sokka's skill, but as the game wore on, he found himself pushed to make better and better moves. Of course, the Water Tribe man was not as good as most Order members, but…he was coming pretty close. At the very least, Iroh thought he would have been able to beat Ty Lee. Perhaps Toph as well. Iroh had a vision of forcing all the new recruits to battle it out with Pai Sho until only one remained. And then, that one person would be able to become a member…

Of course the vision was implausible, since the whole point of this was getting as many new members for the Order as possible. But still.

Long before the game was over, Iroh knew what his answer had to be. As soon as Sokka admitted defeat, he said "You can join the Order."

"Really?" Sokka was almost squeaking with surprise. "Well, cool! Let me go tell Katara!"

He then raced out of the room before Iroh could tell him anyone else. Iroh sighed. It seemed he was going to be getting a lot of troublesome members. But then, the same things that made men troublesome often made them strong. He would just have to trust his instincts, and only time would tell if his choices were right.

* * *

AN: Who guessed he would get in?

Oh, and muchamomo-No room to put Zuko's reaction in this chapter. He doesn't know Sokka got in yet. But if he does find out the people Iroh's been letting in his Order, I think he's going to blow his top.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Why haven't I updated in weeks? I was busy. That's all.

The story is not deserted, but it does not have much to go now. Only a couple chapters, probably, but hopefully they'll be as good as the rest or better. I will try my best!

* * *

Zuko was sulky.

Iroh felt a little regret at the fact that he himself had caused at least a little of that sulkiness. But it was not his fault that Zuko's current position as firelord prevented him from joining the order. Not mostly, anyways. Still, he regretted having to be the one to turn him down.

He gave his nephew a cup of fruity tea to soother his ire. So Zuko sulkily sipped his tea. Eventually he put it down and said in what was probably supposed to be a cheerful voice, "So have you found anyone to join the Order? Who has come to you?"

"Well," said Iroh. "I did have to turn about half of them down."

"Oh," Zuko said, more satisfied by this news than by the tea. "Then I wasn't the only one."

"I told you earlier, I had already turned down the Avatar," Iroh pointed out.

Zuko said, "Well, he's Aang."

Iroh shrugged and sipped his tea. True enough, the Avatar was not the kind of person who would generally join a secret society, since he was a bit more upbeat than most, but that had not been part of his reasoning. After all, he had allowed Ty Lee to join.

"So who are you allowing to join the Order?" Zuko asked, raising his eyebrow.

Iroh said, "I'm not sure I should be telling you. You are my nephew, but these are very important secrets, and I am not sure I should be telling someone who is not a member…"

"Uncle," said Zuko. "I could find out in about an hour's time if I really tried, even without your telling me."

"And how would you do that?"

"Azula," Zuko said simply.

Azula knew everything. More and more lately, Zuko found himself going to his sister for advice. She was an excellent politician, and always had information that Zuko himself had missed. He had to wonder where she was getting it, but he had a pretty good guess-Many of the guards in the prison, while not truly disapproving of his position as firelord, had far more respect for Azula than he, simply because she had been around for the two or three years when he had been banished or teaching Aang. And they saw no harm in passing messages along to her, since she was in jail and could hardly do anything about it. Zuko suspected they also let her have visitors he had not approved. In fact, he knew that part for certain, since apparently Ty Lee had gone to visit her without his approval. Not that he minded, but it was a delicate situation. Thank goodness it did not seem that Azula planned to have him murdered or start a rebellion, or Zuko would have been afraid indeed.

In any case, she had been friendly as of late, and would tell him tidbits of information. He was not sure why. He thought it was probably half to show off that he did not control her even in jail, and half because she genuinely thought he could use the information. Either way, he appreciated it, and he was sure she had at least one contact in the Order who could tell him the new members if his uncle was stubborn.

Iroh sighed. "We really must do something about your sister."

"Yes. We should get her out of that jail soon. If only we can get the Earth Kingdom and the Water tribes not to throw a fit about it…" Zuko trailed off and wrinkled his nose, considering how difficult it was to reason with the Earth and Water diplomats. They felt that every time they conceded even a small point they were losing the war all over again, and they never tried to hide the fact that they hated the Fire Nation and particularly hated him. Getting Azula out of jail without causing the war to start all over again, or at least losing much of the other nations' respect, would be like walking on eggs.

"That is not what I meant," Iroh said firmly. "I do not think we should let Azula out of jail, Zuko. Not yet, and possibly not ever."

"I know you don't trust Azula, Uncle," said Zuko. "But I am the Firelord, and I am going to get her out!"

Iroh sighed yet again.

"Since you already have a source of information I might as well tell you who the new members will be," he said, taking another sip of tea. "Some of them are your friends. Sokka is joining."

Zuko tilted his head, considering it. "Sokka's a good man. I haven't seen him in a while. Wait. Does that mean he's in the city right now?"

"Yes," Iroh said. "He came to see me yesterday."

"Why didn't he come to visit me first?" Zuko demanded. "He's one of my best friends, and he's in the city after years of being away, and he didn't even come to see me. Why?"

"I'm sure he'll come to visit you eventually," Iroh said soothingly. "He just came to talk to me first because he wanted to join the Order."

"I'm the firelord," Zuko grumbled. "People should visit me first…"

Iroh changed the subject before Zuko could start sulking again. "It turns out he's a fairly good Pai Sho player. Perhaps the two of you can play a game some time. Or maybe you could play a game with Katara. She has a natural skill, I think, but she's still learning."

"Did Katara get in too?" Zuko asked. Katara could probably handle a job in the Order. And it would be useful to have someone in the Order so close to the Avatar, no doubt. Not that Zuko knew much about what the Order wanted or didn't want.

"No," said Iroh. "As I said, she's not good enough at Pai Sho yet."

Zuko glared at Iroh. "Your criteria are terrible, Uncle."

"If you feel sorry for her, teach her how to play Pai Sho better," said Iroh.

Zuko made a mental note to do that some time. Or maybe he could get Mai to help. Mai often beat him at Pai Sho, and she didn't know Katara very well. It would be a good bonding experience.

"Ty Lee is going to join," Iroh continued. "I was doubtful about her, but she is a very good Pai Sho player and a good warrior."

Zuko stared at him.

"She's less crazy than Bumi," Iroh said.

Zuko blinked and said, "King Bumi is a good king, but he should not be who you compare someone to for sanity."

"She's much, much less crazy than Bumi," Iroh reassured his nephew.

"She wears pink!" Zuko said. He could still remember one time when Azula had convinced Ty Lee that he had no fashion sense and therefore needed her assistance. His whole wardrobe had been replaced with pink clothes within a day, and he had been forced to actually wear the pink clothes for days until he could get better clothes again. His father had given him a very disapproving stare, and ignored him when he made excuses.

Iroh was still explaining why actually letting Ty Lee into the Order was a good idea, but Zuko didn't really care that much. It wasn't his Order after all. He was just curious. "Who else got in?" he interrupted.

Iroh looked a bit peeved, but he answered, "Toph is going to be joining the Order as well."

Zuko frowned. "Isn't she a little young?"

Iroh pointed out, "When you were her age, you were already searching the world for the Avatar."

"Yes, but that wasn't…I mean…Oh, whatever. Just don't go around sending her on really dangerous missions or anything."

"We don't have any to send her on at the moment," Iroh answered. "And anyways, I doubt she'd appreciate you being protective of her. After all, she has, in her time, taught the Avatar Earthbending and fought many dangerous opponents, both in tournaments and in battle. She has definitely proved herself."

"Is she really good at Pai Sho thoug?" Zuko asked. "I've never seen her play."

"She is nobility," Iroh assured him. "Though her techniques could use some refining." He sipped his tea calmly.

"Pretty much anyone's technique could use refining," Zuko said. "Well, who else is joining?" He knew quite a few other people who would have been happy to join, though he wasn't sure that they were aware the Order existed in the first place.

"That's all," said Iroh.

"All? That's not very many," Zuko said. "You really do need to change your criteria. I thought you were going to recruit half the city."

"I'm still working on it," Iroh said. "But those are the only people I will be accepting for now. The initiation ceremony should be in a week."

"Lovely," said Zuko. "Can I come?"

"No," Iroh said sternly. "You are not an Order member. It is a private Order event."

His nephew stared at him pleadingly, golden eyes almost watering.

"Zuko," Iroh repeated. "You can't come."

Zuko rose to his feet, his single eyebrow furrowing in anger. "Fine then. I'll just spend the day with Mai! And we'll have a way better time than you!" With that he stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Iroh sighed. Sometimes his nephew was so immature he could not believe he was the Firelord. The worst part was that he had left behind half a cup of cold tea.

* * *

AN: Please. I have no idea how a White Lotus Intitiation Ceremony goes. Ideas, anyone?


	10. Chapter 10

Sokka had been in hideouts before.

About half of these hideouts had been his own hideouts when he and Katara and Aang had been hiding from the Fire Nation and other enemies. They had mostly been caves- remote enough to hide in, big enough to fit Appa, shelter from wind, rain and other annoyances. Not comfortable, but not uncomfortable. He had seen other hideouts as well. Suki had shown him a few during a slightly longer visit to Kyoshi Island, and Zuko had shown him some secret rooms in the palace.

The coolest hideout or secret room he had ever seen was the secret chamber in the North Pole where the Ocean and Moon Spirits lived. It had been the most mysterious place he had ever been to. That said, he never wanted to return to it. He did not think he could face the room where his first love died.

In any case, the White Lotus hideout was not the classiest one he had ever seen, but it was certainly grand. And it was well hidden. Without guidance, he would not have been able to find it. Fortunately, a man had come to his room that night at ten o'clock and, giving him a white lotus tile as proof that he was trustworthy, had led Sokka through back roads and secret doors to the chamber he was in now, where apparently White Lotus members would be gathering for the initiation ceremony over the next hour.

The chamber was underground (as far as Sokka could tell, unless that one secret tunnel had actually brought him above ground at some point). It was lit by large torches. There were enough of them that the room was not frighteningly dark, but still shadowy enough to make Sokka feel a bit nervous. It was not very decorated. There were no Fire Nation flags on the rocky walls, strange in this Fire Nation Capital. There was a rug, the most decoration the room had. There was a trunk in a corner of the huge chamber that Sokka found highly mysterious. Half of him wanted to open it. There were also at least fifteen Pai Sho tables scattered around the room, but those were not exactly surprising.

Members of the Order were arriving sporadically. At least, Sokka assumed they were members. They were men wearing dark cloaks though, which covered their faces and whatever other clothes they were wearing, so he did not really know much about their looks at least. He really wanted one of those cloaks. They looked almost as cool as those wolf heads that South Pole warriors wore.

Eventually someone showed up that Sokka actually did recognize.

"Toph!" he exclaimed happily. He'd known she would show up eventually-they had told each other they had gotten into the Order-so it was no surprise, but it was still good to see her.

Toph made a face at him. "Aren't we supposed to be quiet, Sokka? I mean, not that I mind the noise, but this is a secret White Lotus hideout."

Sokka shrugged. "I don't know. What do you think the initiation ceremony's going to be like?"

Toph shrugged back as she crossed the room to join him where he was standing in almost the exact center of the chamber, where he had a view of any part of the room he wanted. "Maybe we have to defeat one of the White Lotus masters to get in. Maybe we're going to have to have an epic bending competition." She grinned in anticipation.

"Um, I don't think that's going to happen," Sokka said. "Not everyone here looks like they're good at fighting. Most of them are pretty old."

"Hey," said Toph. "Don't underestimate people just because they don't look tough. I beat half my opponents that way."

Sokka crossed his arms. "Just saying, I don't think we're going to have a fighting competition in a room with this nice of a rug."

"It _is_ a nice rug," Toph mused. "Well, I hope we at least don't have to sign anything."

Sokka was going to say that he had no problem with signing things, and his calligraphy was perfectly fine, thank you, when someone tackled from the side, sending him falling to the ground.

"Wha-" he choked.

"Oh, hi Ty Lee," Toph said drily.

"Oh my gosh!" the person who was currently hugging Sokka way too tight said. "I didn't know you guys got into the Order too! That's so exciting!"

"Isn't it," said Toph. "Sokka's breathing has been stifled and I think his heartbeat is slowing. Please don't kill him."

"Oops," said the person who was apparently Ty Lee. "Sorry." She pulled Sokka to his feet in one movement. For a girl, she was pretty strong. (And if Suki were there she would probably beat him up for the first three words of that sentence.)

Ty Lee was wearing pink as usual; only today she was wearing a darker shade than normal, probably in an effort to be mysterious as the occasion demanded. But she was smiling far too widely to look anything but cheerful. "Toph! You look good. But you should wear a different color tiara. That one totally doesn't match your dress."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Toph said sarcastically. "Next time I'll look more closely."

"Girls, girls," Sokka interrupted. "Fight some other time. Iroh just arrived. I think the ceremony is about to begin."

As it turned out, he was right. Iroh, wearing a dark red robe with a hood he had taken off upon entering the chamber, walked to the center of the room and called the meeting to Order.

"My fellow Order members," he announced, when all the dark cloaked strangers were clearly paying attention. "Tonight we meet for a special purpose-to initiate three very special people into our Order of the White Lotus."

The dark cloaked figures nodded in unison, but none of them said a word.

"I will introduce them to you," Iroh said with a smile. He beckoned Sokka, Ty Lee and Toph forward. "This man is Sokka, former companion of the Avatar and brave warrior of the Water Tribe. This lovely lady is Ty Lee, a warrioress of the Fire Nation who possesses great courage and fashion sense. And this young lady" Toph scowled at the young part "is Toph, Earthbending champion and teacher of the Avatar. They are all trustworthy and skilled at Pai Sho. Therefore I have chosen them, among all applicants, to join our beloved Order."

The White Lotus members all nodded again.

Iroh looked into the crowd and said, "Will Grand Master Piandao please come forward?"

Sokka's eyes widened. The crowd parted and a figure stepped forth into the center of the room where Iroh, Sokka, Ty Lee and Toph were standing. He lowered the hood of the cloak and it was indeed Piandao.

It took some effort for Sokka to resist giving him a huge hug and yelling, "MASTER!" But he did it. The grinning, he could not prevent.

"I have been giving the honor of administering the Oath of Entry," Piandao declared solemnly. He turned to Sokka. "Repeat after me, initiate."

Sokka had a feeling that Piandao, as well, was barely resisting calling him student. But then again, maybe that was just hopeful thinking.

Piandao began. "I pledge to keep the Order of the White Lotus's secrets…"

"I pledge to keep the Order of the White Lotus's secrets…" Sokka repeated.

"To preserve balance of the elements, to protect the Avatar…"

"To preserve the balance of the elements, to protect the Avatar…"

"To assist fellow members of the Order whenever they are in need…"

"To assist fellow members of the Order whenever they are in need…"

"And to play Pai Sho as much as possible."

"And to play Pai Sho as much as possible."

Piandao bowed solemnly to Sokka, and Sokka bowed back. Then Piandao turned to Ty Lee, and the process began all over again. Sokka was too excited to really listen. Was he really a member of the White Lotus now? And what would keeping his oath entail in the future?

A few minutes later, all three of them had said the oath. Piandao bowed to them again, and when they had all bowed in return, he walked back through the crowd. When he came back into the center of the room, he was carrying the chest that had a few minutes ago been sitting in the corner of the chamber. He placed it in front of Iroh.

Iroh cleared his throat.

"My friends," he addressed Sokka, Ty Lee and Toph. "You are now full members of the Order of the White Lotus."

It was still silent in the room. The other members stood perfectly still. There was a feeling in the air of anticipation, restlessness.

Iroh opened the chest and took out three small pouches. Each was a deep brown color and held closed by a drawstring. He handed one to each of the new members and smiled, a small, encouraging smile. "Open them."

They each pulled the drawstrings open and poured some of the contents of the bags into their hands.

Ty Lee gasped. "Oh my gosh!"

Toph had to finger the flat stones in her hand for a few seconds before she realized what she was holding.

Sokka gaped noiselessly.

Sitting in his hand were five round, white tiles, each with a flower engraved on it. White lotus tiles. The pouch was full of them.

For a moment he stared at them, and turned them around and around in his hand. Then he smiled and poured the five tiles back into his pouch. They made a clinking noise, hitting other tiles, and Sokka wondered just how many tiles there were in there.

He turned to Iroh, who said, "It is essential for an Order member to have white lotus tiles available wherever he goes. I have learned through my travels that far too often tiles are lost or given away until you no longer have any. And that is a tragedy. Not only because they are the symbol of our Order, but because without at least one of these tiles, your Pai Sho set will be incomplete."

Sokka nodded.

And around him, the other members of the Order broke into clapping and cheers. The chamber echoed with applause. Toph, next to Sokka, held her pouch in the air and shouted, "That's right!"

"And now," Iroh announced when the cheering had died down. "To welcome our new members into our Order, let us play a game of Pai Sho."

There was some confusion, as everyone rushed to sit at one of the Pai Sho tables. Sokka, particularly dazed, did not manage to get a seat in the end, though Toph and Ty Lee did. He groaned.

"Hey, I thought we were celebrating our initiation ceremony," he grumbled. "Won't at least someone give me a seat?"

Someone chuckled behind him. Sokk turned to see Master Piandao. "Ah, master!"

Piandao said, in an apologetic manner, "They're all far too interested in Pai Sho to give up a seat to a newcomer." He sighed then. "Too bad. I was hoping to play a game against you."

"Well, we've played before," Sokka said. "And if we wait, maybe we can get a table when one of these matches ends."

"True," said Master Piandao. Then he stepped a bit closer to Sokka. "Sounds a little boring though, doesn't it? Particularly on a momentous night like this."

"Well, what should we do then?" Sokka asked. "Kick someone out of his seat?"

Piandao frowned. "Student, you have gotten to be very aggressive since I saw you last. No, no need to steal anyone's seats. I was thinking…I know a very good cactus juice place a few minutes from here…"

Sokka raised his eyebrows. "You're suggesting we ditch? Aren't you interested in playing Pai Sho too?"

"The bar has a Pai Sho table," Piandao said. "Though it's hardly ever used. And these meetings can last a very long time if you don't escape early."

"Oh," Sokka said. "Okay then."

And so, while Toph and Ty Lee and Iroh and many other Order members were deeply engrossed in their respective games of Pai Sho, Sokka, newly of the Order, snuck out with Piandao to drink cactus juice, talk about adventures and think up crazy ideas that would later be implemented by Teo's father.

It was the first time, but in later years it would become a tradition.

* * *

AN: Thank you to all my reviewers! This is the last chapter, and it's kind of a relief and a disappointment at the same time. There are some plotlines here that I wish I could follow further, but the story has reached its ending point and frankly I feel a little tired.

I would like some reviews though, to tell me if I ended with a bang or a thud, if possible. This chapter was probably the hardest one to write. It didn't follow my usual formula, obviously, and I had to write the ceremony, which was a little tricky.

To answer a few questions:

Why did I desert the story for a couple weeks? I was busy. Also, I was procrastinating. This was a hard chapter to write.

Why was this chapter from Sokka's point of view? Because it had to be from someone's point of view. And I really like Sokka.

Is this really the end?

Yes, it is. And thank you so much for reading the whole thing, and for all the reviews. Love you guys!


End file.
